Catch up, Granger
by the-everest
Summary: Malfoy's acting a lot nicer and chivalry doesn't look half bad on him. Of course, that can't possibly last very long! A wrong spell by Pansy reveals Draco's feelings, if they do happen to be genuine, that is.
1. Pansy

I do not own any HP works or characters or rights etc. But I _AM_ quite enamored with them.

This is my first fan-fic. Let's see where it goes.

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Chapter 1: Pansy's Own Blunder

Despite it being the late hours of a Friday night, the Hogwarts library was not empty. And Ron Weasley wasn't at all surprised. It couldn't be anyone but his favorite book worm, Hermione. He advanced with a Lumos spell to light his way toward the tables where she'd be sitting. He confirmed his guess when he heard pages turn from one of the books from the extensive library collection.

He was going to surprise her, he decided as he grinned. _It's so late,_ he thought, _she'd welcome a friendly face. What could she possibly be studying for at this time, anyway?_

He peeked his head around a bookshelf and brought his wand up to see… not-Hermione.

"What? Who are you?" A startled voice hit him as he reeled from his discovery: it was Pansy Parkinson. Crying. Over… some sort of magical text?

"Err..sorry," he ducked his head and tried to move across the room with purpose, like he hadn't been lurking in the library just by mere curiosity.

Pansy sniffled out a little cry and looked back down to her books. Her Slytherin robes where crumpled, messy, and she had obviously neglected to place a light protection spell on her make-up, which was running down her cheeks. The girl looked deplorable- and though Ron hated her for having tormented his friends and Hermione in particular, he couldn't revel in her pain at the moment.

He simply looked away and tried to shake off the image of Pansy's freaky breakdown in the library. But then, like a slightly selfish goon- which (he had to face it) he sometimes was, he moved back toward her table to ask what book it was they would need to research the Dark Arts essay assigned by Slughorn over the weekend.

She began to point a shaky hand to her left, but then she quickly brought it to her chest.

"Forget it," she yelped quietly.

"What..? What's your problem?" Ron scoffed at her. "I'm not asking you to kiss Godric Griffyndor's shoe- I asked for simple directions on homework." When she buried her face in her palms, he gave up and began to turn away.

"Whatever, Pansy. It's not like I can't get any of my friends to tell me about the homework," he grumbled in exasperation.

"No! It's not that," she moaned out sorrowfully. "I just mean… that I'd probably be no good authority on school work anyway," she shrugged.

"What, you mean you're failing?" He let out a small laugh- it's not like he wasn't doing poorly in Transfigurations.

"Oh, just with classes in general! I've been messing it all up in just the worst possible ways," she whined and brushed the pages of the texts before her.

To Ron, she didn't really look so… dog-like at the moment. Maybe it was the sadness that made her look more approachable and human. So he pursued the conversation, trying to make her feel better about something he didn't understand.

"Oh.. err, blimey! It really can't be as bad as I've done this year. It's too late to worry about homework," he told her, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"No, you nitwit!" She hissed and shrugged him off, looking at the page before her. "You don't understand. This isn't _school_ work, it's a spell gone wrong!"

Ron read the page's title: "Entrancing Enchantments." They were supposed to make people fall in love with the one that cast the spell, but who did Pansy try to…

"Oh, Pansy! I really don't care what you did to Malfoy," he snorted when he realized her probable target. He began to walk away, before he threw his head back to wish the two of them well.

"No, you idiot!" She cried out into her arms. "He won't love me! It's horrible! The spell is making him melt for that horrible witch that you're friends with," she groaned out as she picked up her things and shuffled out of the library quickly.

Ron was left behind in the library, practically petrified at Pansy's mistake. Malfoy and Hermione? He rushed back to the Common Room.

* * *

"So who cares?" Harry lazily spoke, trying to fall asleep despite Ron's complaints. He obviously didn't have much faith in any magic of Pansy Parkinson's. The girl couldn't have been any stupider.

"What, Harry? It doesn't bother you that the little ferret's going to be throwing himself at… our friend? I mean, the little git probably thinks he's entitled to Hermione, or something," Ron huffed falling backwards on his bed.

"It's not like Hermione would give in, though… And why should you care, Ron?" Harry turned away from him in his own bed.

"I'm not.. I'm just.." Ron looked toward the door of their room. He didn't know why he should care.

"You know, Ron… This might actually be fun," Harry faced him again and pushed up on his elbow. "I mean, think of it- Malfoy following us like a puppy!" he laughed.

"Yeah," he complained. "He'll pursue us tirelessly and use all of his fortune to impress Hermione at any opportunity. It sounds like _great_ fun, Harry."

"No- you're not looking at this the right way…" Harry tried to explain to him. "MALFOY WILL BE WAITING ON US! I mean, talk about finally bringing some humility to him!" He was smirking now, all his intentions of sleep forgotten.

"Yeah, I guess…" Ron thought it over. "Sure. Fun…"

* * *

Sure enough, a Malfoy full of hope was waiting for them at breakfast the next morning. Hermione grumbled as he prattled about her hair that morning, throwing a cross look to Harry and Ron who were both snickering.

"Oy, Malfoy!" Ron called to him. "Ms. Granger could use another bottle of pumpkin juice at her table. Want to bring us one of the ones from your table?"

As Draco Malfoy hurried to please "his lady," Hermione turned to Ron furiously.

"Why did you do this to him? It's atrocious! You can't just play pranks by using people. Ron, you're being-"

"Hermione, Ron didn't do anything," Harry grinned widely. "It must just be… Malfoy being weird or something." He elbowed Ron until he agreed with him.

"I know it's a spell," Hermione rolled her eyes at them and pushed away from the table when she saw Draco returning to their table.

She rushed off, looking back only when she felt the penetrating stare of Pansy Parkinson on her. The yippy Slytherin was glaring meanly across the room… but trying to confront her would only probably give Draco a chance to catch up with her again.

Sighing, she began to move toward the Gryffindor Common Room. Somewhere there were the quills she planned on returning in Hogsmeade. She had too much on her mind to think of putting them in her bag as she descended the staircase when they caught the attention of an extremely bored Peeves. He swooped down to pilfer her quill set, yelling after her. Surprised, she turned away from him, but lost her footing on the stairs.

Peeves laughed maniacally as he left her grasping for the banister she wasn't going to reach in time. She fell back quickly. Hermione shut her eyes and waited to land on her butt embarrassingly. Instead, she fell down into a pair of strong arms. She loosened her grip on the case of quills and opened her eyes. _Lord, it's Draco_, she thought as she pushed out of his arms, mortified.

"Erhmm, thanks, Malfoy."

"Right. Of course," he put his hands back in his pockets. He wasn't wearing robes- just black pants with a fitted dark colored turtle neck, bringing out his silver eyes. "I… saw you running into a bit of trouble with Peeves," he pointed up to the stair where Peeves had swooped down on her.

"Yes. It was lucky that you were here," she admitted.

"So, Hermione- you're going to Hogsmeade?" He asked, looking down at the unopened quills in her hands.

It was odd for her to hear him speak her first name. He said it really warmly, too. Perhaps Harry hadn't been lying about Malfoy that morning. Maybe he was changing…

"Yes, I am," she replied more warmly this time.

"Well, I am too…" he mentioned as they began to descend the stairs together.

Considering everyone went to Hogsmeade, it wasn't a spectacular coincidence, but Hermione smiled and agreed to spend the afternoon with him anyway.

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	2. A Cloudy Afternoon

Again, I don't own the HP characters/books/concepts/etc

This story is rated M for later chapters.

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Chapter 2. A Cloudy Afternoon

The weather was particularly warm, though Hermione felt chilled by the pair of intense, silver eyes looking at her. Blushing, she pushed some of her insubordinate hair back from her face.

"Well… that's hardly even a question, Draco," she said, looking away from him. She liked saying his name. Not "Malfoy," or whatever horrible nickname the Gryffindors were chanting at him. She liked his name. And, maybe, she also liked him. As the very thought of a crush reached her, she grinned to herself before looking back to an expectant Draco.

"No… I'm pretty sure it remains a question if I pose it like one," he flashed her one of his patented smirks. Of course, this time it was much, much warmer, prompting Hermione to counter his train of thought.

"You see, it's not… Because asking me, a Prefect, for help on any sort of assignment, I'm supposed to consent if the request is earnest, so you asking this way is quite…redundant." _And sweet_, she thought to herself.

"Well, then it's still very much a question, if my request isn't necessarily… earnest to better my Hogwarts studies," he smiled at her and looked ahead at the approaching cluster of buildings in Hogsmeade.

"You know," Hermione mulled it over, "I think I remember you always getting "O"s on your O.W.L.s…" She crossed her arms across her chest as a colder wind began to blow toward them.

"Of course, but I can't possibly be compared academically to the Gryffindor Princess," he teased. He looked down at her, but her whole face had darkened. She was looking behind them and he followed her gaze.

In their light conversation, they hadn't noticed the looks people were giving them. The Parvati twins strode past them a little too indignantly. Draco shrugged, a little too carelessly, and put his arm on Hermione's waist. She jumped a little bit at the surprise to his touch.

"Oh, sod them all," he said, trying to comfort her. She relaxed in his smile and they continued toward Hogsmeade in a warm silence.

* * *

Luna Lovegood entered Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop with a parcel in hand. She almost dropped it in her excitement to see Hermione. She rushed over to the counter to greet her friend.

"Hermione! I'm so very pleased to meet you! It's so fortunate that I ran into you. Father said I should look into selling that invisible ink I made from the Rowfel juice I decanted last week, remember?" She looked up from the package in her hands and noticed the tall Slytherin behind Hermione.

"Oh, hi Draco," she smiled politely. The boy nodded back. The quiet was a little unsettling until Hermione decided to say something.

"Oh, well that's great, Luna. Would you like me to vow for your ink as one of the..err… original testers of the product?" She asked, hiding her right hand- her fingertips still stained in a dark indigo color from the homemade invisible ink.

Luna seemed too distracted to notice though.

"Yeah, sure, sounds lovely. Listen, 'Mione," she hushed her tone and pulled on Hermione's sleeve. As she tried to bring her away from her companion, Draco touched Hermione's lower back. She looked at him over the shoulder and he nodded at her, turning back to the counter to the attendant. As he returned her quill set for her, Hermione turned back to Luna.

"It's rather rude to pull me away like this, don't you think?"

"Hermione, what's going on here?" Luna raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know… We're just… Who cares?" she let out a little loudly. A group of Ravenclaws looked up at them. Embarassed, she added in a hushed tone, "I'll tell you about it tonight, ok? It's… nothing, really…"

Hermione wanted to smile, but the urgency in Luna's voice made her reconsider.

"Hermione, I came here from Dervish and Banges, thinking I could sell my… ink there, too, but," Luna became flustered. In a shrill whisper, she asked once more, "What's really going on here? I just saw Pansy Parkinson whining at the front of the store for something, like a Sneakoscope. Are you sure you're not going to end up tricked, Hermione?"

With that, Gryffindor's Princess was left in the quill shop, more than a little bit hurt.

Soon, Draco returned to her side with seven Galleons.

"You all right, Hermione?" he took her hand and flashed her a smile. Hermione decided to brush off what Luna said. The girl had a theory and conspiracy to everything. Luna wasn't right.

She strode out with Draco from the shop and he suggested going to The Three Broomsticks.

"I don't know, Draco. It's a really busy place…" _all of my friends will be there_.

"I'm sure there's room for us, come on," he urged her, squeezing her hand a little.

_Well, a Butterbeer wouldn't hurt right now_, she smiled a little warily.

* * *

With a venomous stare, Pansy followed Draco and the Gryffindor wench into The Three Broomsticks. She entered with a group of Hufflepuffs, making a bee-line toward the bathroom. In the mirror, she magically applied more lipstick and then evaluated her outfit. Her short black skirt covered most of her thighs and, at least to Pansy, she looked quite… prude-ish.

"Ugh!" Exasperated, she tore at her high neckline, before she remembered she had magic. With her wand, she trimmed the material around her neck and shoulders, making the blouse a looser fit and revealing her lacy black and green corset. To finish, she put the small purchase from Dervish and Banges into her bag and changed her skirt into a tight-fitting pair of white shorts.

Proud of the adjustments, she left the bathroom, trying to advance in a slow and seductive walk to the table of the newest love birds at Hogwarts. _Draco didn't even look up from his little Mudblood's face_, she seethed. _That prick!_

The only one who did notice her was Hermione. She looked at Pansy's skimpy out fit with a little bit of revulsion and took a long drink from her Butterbeer. By the time Draco caught on, Pansy was at his side, squeezing onto their bench.

"Drakey!" she shrilly announced into his ear. "What a marvelous delight!" She tried to lean toward him but he just leaned closer to Hermione.

"I'm not here alone, Pansy," he spat at her cruelly.

"Oh, whatever…" she giggled and looked at Hermione, who looked like she was bracing herself for the Curciatus curse. _As if she'd waste a breath on her_, Pansy scoffed to herself.

"Hello there, Mudblood," she breathed out sultrily. "If you don't mind, now, Draco and I are _busy_." As she emphasized that, she turned slightly in her seat and put her right hand on Draco's hip.

Pansy throwing herself at Draco had literally frozen Hermione to her place. She looked on as the Slytherin girl's hand inched closer to the zipper of Draco's pants.

Pansy's advancements were interrupted by Draco, when he pulled Hermione up with him, moving away from Pansy.

"Merlin, Pansy!" He growled at her in low tones. "You've obviously been hit in the head. We're leaving," he ordered Hermione who followed him out obligingly, startled at the stares of the crowded inn.

When the door closed behind them, Pansy ordered herself another Butterbeer and promised not to give up on Draco yet. She couldn't be that excellent of a witch to make a long lasting spell. This whole infatuation with the Mudblood would have to be over sometime… And there was still the gift she had for Draco. Surely, that would disappoint him from pursuing Granger any further. Pansy sighed and continued drinking in the bustling inn, growling at the third-year students walking past.

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	3. You Can't Deny It

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**Chapter 3. You Can't Deny It**

In their whirlwind exit from The Three Broomsticks, Hermione found herself hurrying to keep up with Draco Malfoy. He seemed a little shaken from Pansy's advances.

"You alright, Draco?" she spoke and reached for his forearm. At her touch, he spun around apologetically.

"I'm really sorry, Hermione. I didn't bring you there to see… that," he waved off Pansy's obvious progress toward a very public display of affection.

"You can relax. I saw you in there, and I know it wasn't your fault," she soothed him. They began to walk back towards Hogwarts in silence. They stood apart, walking in-step with one another. Looking around at the small groups of students trickling back to Hogwarts, she tried to find a friendly face- to take some of the awkwardness out of the walk or to alleviate the tension.

"Draco, I know Pan-"

Draco Malfoy stopped in his tracks, making Hermione nervous for trying to bring up the subject. _Maybe it wasn't my place to speak_, she thought to herself. She could just hear Ron's monologues of how controlling and pushy she was. She began to blush and then Draco gapped the distance between them.

"I'm sorry if this wasn't… all that I wanted it to be, but I really enjoyed myself here," he breathed out. His voice seemed hoarse to Hermione, and she smiled at him encouragingly.

She wanted to reach out to him over the centimeters of space that kept them apart. To touch the sleeve of his dark sweater, to smooth a strand of his platinum hair into place, to rest her forehead on his, but she couldn't. She wanted to step back from the situation just as badly as she wanted to act on some of her more hormonal instincts, knowing that it was so wrong for her to be there with a Malfoy within kissing range. _God, kissing!_ She blinked in recognition of what she really wanted to do.

"I hope I didn't ruin your whole trip," he smiled with a glint of disappointment in his eyes.

"What? No," Hermione assured him. "God, no! Merlin! I was just on my way to return a set of quills I wasn't looking for a memorable experience or for company, or for-"

Running out of breath, she inhaled once quickly, and in that swift second, his lips overtook hers- as if with that one breath she had been calling out to him. His arms brought her closer as Draco leaned her back slightly, deepening the kiss. Then, Hermione opened her eyes, and still lip-locked, she noticed how very public her first kiss with the Slytherin Prince had been. People had frozen in their tracks, gaping at them. All years from all houses were looking at how one third of the Golden Trio was kissing Draco Malfoy. She pushed away, surprising him- Draco appearing oblivious to the rest of the crowd.

More than anything, Hermione wished one could apparate on Hogwarts grounds. She could have at least used Harry's invisibility cloak, but instead, she felt stranded in the middle of a long path back to Hogsmeade. Draco reached for her to calm the blushing girl, but she quickly took off from the scene, running away so fast that some of the students present began to debate whether they had actually been "kissing" in the first place. Draco was frozen in his tracks, but a tall darker figure behind him wasn't. Blaise Zabini rolled his eyes and took off for Hogsmeade again.

He knew that something was wrong with his best mate, and he thought he knew what little witch he had to blame for it. He looked through the windows of the Hogsmeade shops hoping to find Parkinson to get to the bottom of his friend's… disease. He finally spotted her exiting The Three Broomsticks.

"Pansy! What the HELL?" he roared accusingly. He was in front of her in four strides as she whimpered backward to the wall of the popular inn.

"Hi, Blaise," she said a little more calmly, as she nonchalantly evaluated her nails.

Blaise had no patience this time. He closed her in by putting his arms on either side of her head touching the wall.

"What did you do to Draco? Why was he sucking the face off of that Gryffindor Mudblood?" he whispered harshly in her face.

Exasperated, Pansy began to wail again. "I don't know! It's so awful! Oh, Blaise! It was such a mistake! An awful, awful mistake!"

"So it was you?" Blaise restated. With someone as volatile as Pansy Parkinson, it was a little hard to find the truth in tearful confessions. When the girl nodded slowly, he relaxed his pose and let her clue him in on her latest spells.

"You can't reverse it at all?"

"Well," she sniffled, "I was trying to ask Madam Pomfrey about it when… well, I was trying to not give any names. To now incriminate myself, you know," Pansy leaned toward him for approval. Being so self-involved had been, after all, a large part of the Sorting Hat's decision in placing Pansy in Slytherin. "But Madam Pomfrey insisted that I tell her specifics or that the effects done ba-ba-badly won't be reversible," she stuttered. "Not unless Draco would admit that the little Muggle-born Princess doesn't like him back…"

"Merlin, Pansy," Blaise took a few steps backward. "Why the hell would you be so desperate anyways? The git shags you every couple of weeks," he rolled his eyes.

"You don't understand, Blaise!" She roared at him, fists clenched. "You boys go through our whole house like you're changing robes, and Drakey won't admit there's a real connection. Even his _mother_ says so."

"Merlin's beard, Pansy. What the fuck are you planning to do to snap him out of it? He was pawing at that bushy-haired Mudblood in public just fifteen minutes ago," he shuddered at the image. "You should have seen how pathetic the bloke looked when she ran away from him. I mean, it's like he was the one in Azkaban with all the dementors, not his father!"

"Oh, shut up, Blaise! I'm going to fix it," Pansy hit Blaise's arm for insulting her prospective husband's family. She reached for a pocket in her shorts and pulled out the small token she had purchased earlier that day.

"Are you still hitting on that Patil girl from Gryffindor?" Pansy inquired.

"Hardly," Blaise scoffed. "Like I have to do any work to have a girl from Gryffindor!"

"Oh, shut up, you idiot!" Pansy hit him again. "We need her! This," she said, showing him a turquoise washer, "is going to expose Granger to be the low and prissy Mudblood that she is."

* * *

Hermione ran straight to her dormitory, tears forming in her eyes- partly because of the embarrassing public display and partly out of shame for running away so senselessly. She felt like such a child. She ran into the room and cried on her bed until Lavender and Parvati walked in, arms linked and full of sympathy.

"Poor Hermione!"

"We heard you were in here crying." Lavender raised an eyebrow toward her friend as they both sat on Hermione's bed.

Hermione leaned on Lavender's shoulder as her sobs quieted. Meanwhile, Lavender was raising her eyebrows knowingly at Parvati.

Her friend did just as she had been instructed by her current fling, Blaise Zabini of Slytherin. _Go into Granger's room and put the washer-thing under her pillow- be extra nice to her and talk for a while- make sure they put down Draco and gossip meanly- then leave her when she looks like she's going to fall asleep_. Parvati wasn't sure why Blaise would encourage her to slander his best friend, but she didn't really care. All she knew was that as soon as Hermione Granger was asleep, she was to meet him in one of the class rooms on the third floor that Filch never bothers checking.

She was a bit too giddy reaching to leave the turquoise bit behind Hermione's pillow but the crying girl was oblivious to all of it. She simply nodded as Lavender and Parvati went on about how horrid Draco Malfoy had been and how he had obviously taken advantage of her in front of everybody. Hermione didn't know what to believe. He had just seemed so… different when they were walking to Hogsmeade. She had actually thought he was different. Or had hoped, at least.

"We knew he was up to no good the way he was acting today," Lavender egged on the conversation.

"He must have been up to something foul- I've heard he has all sorts of missions now that his father's incarcerated!"

"And I mean he's always treated you so badly!" They pointed out again together.

With all of their poisonous comments, Hermione felt dizzy. She wanted to go to bed and clear her head. She needed rest and some time to get past her confusing Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown left her room, she fell asleep not sensing the small blue-green metal piece that had been placed under her pillow.

In his bedroom, Draco was also oblivious to the matching metal piece under his pillow. The two dream projectors that Pansy had bought from Dervish & Banges. She just knew that after infiltrating Granger's mind for the night, Draco would realize how undesirable he was to the Gryffindor know-it-all, and how much Pansy had loved him all along.

On his way to meet Parvati, Zabini sent Pansy one curt nod as he crossed the Slytherin common room. She swelled with satisfaction to have her plan set in motion. "Wasn't this a brilliant plan, Baise? You can't deny it."

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_**What do you think Draco should discover in Hermione's dreams?**_


	4. Like a Dream

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**Now, enough of the author's note. Let's see where this goes...**

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**Chapter 4: Like a Dream**

Draco fell asleep, still very much enamored with Hermione Granger. He didn't question it: all this time, he must have overlooked the diamond in the rough. And now, she truly sparkled. He retreated early to his chamber, looking to avoid the snide Slytherin remarks. He couldn't be with Hermione now, but he knew that he'd be dreaming of her tonight.

He fell asleep as soon as he reached the bed, but to his disappointment, lying on his pillow with his eyes closed, he found nothing but a cold and sinister darkness, as opposed to her desirous body. It tingled and sucked him in. He was part of the walls of a multi-faceted dream. He was in the subconscious. Tensing in his sleep, he tried to resist integrating with the darkness and the edges, but he simply wasn't meant to be part of the dream.

Merlin, it made no sense! It was his dream and he deserved to inhabit it. Then the dark exploded with slinking snakes. They covered everything, suppressing Draco, choking, and-

"Ah!" Draco jolted awake in his bed. He looked around and recognized his dark four-poster bed and tried to calm himself down. He just couldn't understand the dream. It had come on so suddenly- like he had been knocked out.

Satisfied with his surroundings he laid back again, staring at the ceiling. Perhaps this nightmare was because of his sudden lifestyle change. He wasn't meant to… court Mudbloods. When he regained an even breathing pattern, he swore to himself to ask Madam Pomfrey about it later or to owl his mother. For now though, there was only one option: sleep.

He slowly closed his eyes- and then he was back again. In the walls. In the subconscious. Was this his own mind? He shuddered when the snakes returned. Scaly and malicious they bit past him. And then he saw the shadows. They must have been Dementors.

But, no. They were wizards and very much human. They were… Death Eaters. And they were prowling their prey.

He recognized his aunt, looming powerfully over a crumpled body in a Hogwarts uniform. Bellatrix Lestrange used the Cruciatus Curse on the whimpering body of a girl. He slid along the wall that he was a part of and felt the snakes creep down toward the victim. Shrieks vibrated against the dark walls. Draco didn't know if it was his dream, but he could recognize a nightmare pretty well.

The girl gathered herself up and scrambled weakly toward a crowd. She seemed cut off from them, they had their backs turned to her and the dark walls smelled of death.

And then he felt himself detach from the walls effortlessly. He lost his footing on the shifting floor of snakes. And then the hoods and masks of Death Eaters were whisked off in succession. His father, his mother, his godfather, Severus, and Nott and his father, and Crabbe and Goyle. And they all looked to the girl, then to the sky. Draco saw only darkness above him. Then the Dark Mark began to glow above and the voice of their former master boomed: "Finish the girl!"

The wall behind him undulated and recoiled against his back like a whip, sending him before the now-crouching girl. His wand in hand, he looked at the desperate witch. "Do it! It's your destiny, Draco!" His father called to him.

But Draco knew the War was senseless now. Now that he didn't believe in it. And he dropped his wand, which clattered loudly to the floor. The girl helped herself up and staggered into the light emitted by the glowing Dark Mark. Her white skin glowed under the ominous light, but he only saw the warmth that flooded those familiar honey brown eyes. Hermione Granger came close to him. Now, Draco really couldn't harm her.

"Strike now!" the throaty screech of his aunt sent the girl skidding backwards. His wand was back in his hand, but he didn't want to strike. He threw it down, to have it bounce back to his grip like a boomerang.

"No, I won't!" He shouted with all his power. His decision was absorbed quickly into the dark walls of the subconscious. He couldn't speak voluntarily. He couldn't act on his own. He had no power. If he was willed to, he'd have to kill her.

Draco tried to retreat into the walls as the floor moved beneath his feet and slid him back into position. He felt his face tremble as his mouth slid into a forced smirk. And his arm raised stiffly in front of him, the 10" hawthorn wood with a unicorn hair core was trained on the girl. But she had stopped whimpering. She had grounded herself for the attack that seemed eminent. _Who was controlling him?_ Draco flinched internally as a jet of green shot from his wand.

* * *

Blaise took three steps at a time as he bounded up the staircases to his meeting place. His favorite classroom. He smirked when the door came in view, knowing that the stupid Gryffindor would be waiting for him on the other side.

This was the site of most of Blaise's conquests- involving non-Slytherin girls. He scowled on the inside- _Like I would bring such filth like a Gryffindor to my room in Slytherin territory…_

He smiled, however, when he opened the door and found Parvati Patil perched on a nearby desk with most of her nightshirt unbuttoned.

"Blaise," she whispered breathily, "I thought you were going to stand me up!" She playfully pouted at him.

"Not tonight, baby," Blaise advanced toward her and took her in his arms. Suddenly and forcefully, he crushed her lips with his. Leaning her against a wall, he deepened the kiss as Parvati moaned. When she resurfaced from the kiss for air, he traced her jaw line with his lips all the way to her collar bone.

"Merlin, Blaise! You don't waste any time, do you?" She gasped out, surprised, when he broke off the buttons on her shirt, sliding it off her shoulders.

He groaned into her neck in response. Truthfully, all he wanted was for her to stop talking. Not like he couldn't enjoy himself otherwise, but it made for a better shag.

"Oh," she gasped as he unclasped her bra. "Blaise, I want you so badly!" She said the magic words.

He kissed her again, pressing himself against her. But Parvati couldn't take a cue to shut up. She broke the kiss and tried to hold his gaze.

"It's just like I've imagined it- being with you," she spoke out sultrily, her hands snaking their way toward his belt.

"No, it'll be better," he grinned a little coldly as he unwrapped her from his arms to take off his own clothes.

"Oh, but you don't know how… creative my dreams can be," she replied coyly, watching him undress. But Blaise had frozen with one leg still in his pants.

She reached out to him, but he just gaped at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean… you know," she nodded at the explicit innuendo in her head. "I've waited for you for so long, but I feel like you've already had me- you're that familiar to me in my dreams." She spoke out softly and closed the gap between them.

Blaise Zabini looked at the half naked girl who stared at him ready and willing. Of course, he could get her anywhere, really. This wasn't a very unique opportunity. And right now, his mate needed him.

He cursed Pansy's stupidity- to assume that some Mudblood could resist Draco's charms and to assume that Granger wouldn't, like all girls, fall for him. He turned from Parvati in disgust, thinking of the X-rated scenario Draco had to be in right now, in that Mudblood's mind.

What if it was too late for Draco to be discouraged from betrothing a Muggle-born. Blaise flinched at the wedding he was picturing, where he would be the best man, naturally, right next to Pothead, the Git-Who-Lived.

Determinedly, he flashed Parvati a quick smile while dressing and deserted her. He had to snap Draco out of that dream.

* * *

He saw the terror in Granger's beautiful eyes as they caught the glint of the killing curse. He roared in defiance to this… other power that was controlling him… and at the last moment, he felt his whole body shift away from Hermione. His arm turned by itself toward the crowd of Death Eaters, and with a decisive strike, he obliviated them. They were gone. The snakes, the Dark Mark, they disappeared. Draco Malfoy had spared her life and saved her. Albeit, he did so in compliance to the girl's subconscious, but he looked back at her proudly. He protected her. Or… she would _trust_ him to protect her.

She rushed into his arms, which automatically enveloped her in a strong embrace. He felt uncomfortable with his lack of control, as his hand snapped to her hair, pushing a lock of her wild hair behind her ear.

"Draco," she whispered his name carefully- hesitating to see if any more of the snakes would appear. And all he wanted to do was kiss her again.

Her thoughts seemed to match his wishes, as he felt himself bending down toward her. He could see her eyes closing, but not before recognizing a flash of fear in them. He brushed her lips with his as he spoke assuringly, "it's alright. You're safe now, Hermione."

She came up on her toes and kissed him lightly, and her soft lips became his gate way drug. He held her by her hips to him and she threw her arms around his neck. He wanted more of her- he wanted all of her- and she was perfect. But he couldn't tell her that. It's like it wasn't scripted, or something…

Unable to react independently, it was Hermione who said it first.

"Draco, I want you." She tangled her fingers in his hair, looking into his silver eyes. "I don't even know you… Not really," she admitted blushing. "But I –"

Thwack- Draco fell face first on the cold dungeon floor.

"Bloody hell!" he roared as he tried to right himself- his chin sore from coming down so suddenly on the stone. He realized then that this wasn't the darkness acting on his behalf anymore. He had to pick himself up. Towering over him, Blaise Zabini was stretching at the head of his bead. Rubbing his eyes, Draco thought he saw Zabini's hand slip under his pillow.

"What are you doing here, mate?"

"Oh, nothing. Just came to wish you good-night, Princess!"

"Sod off, Blaise, I was sleeping…" Malfoy grumbled in frustration.

"Yeah, so it seems…" Blaise replied, casting random looks around the room. "Well… all seems in order here. Sleep tight, Draco." He strode out of the room silently, leaving Draco alone again.

"Blimey, that hurts," he touched his jaw lightly. _Now back to sleep,_ he thought.

* * *

That morning, Hermione woke up when an owl was tapping on the glass. She stretched quickly and sauntered across the room to the window. Opening it, a dark, spotted owl flew in to perch on the arm of a chair.

Hermione petted the bird and gave it a treat before taking the envelope. It was heavy, she noted. When the owl left, she started opening it. _It has to be something important_, she thought to herself. _How could it not be? It didn't just arrive in the Great Hall at breakfast like all the other owls!_

That's when her door flung open.

"Oh, Hermione, you're awake! Good! Now hurry up, I need you to help me with Arithmancy!" Ginny Weasley strode in and dragged her by her sleeve.

"Hello to you too, Ginny," Hermione sighed heavily and abandoned the letter on her bed. It was too early to have people copying off of her. At least Ginny wasn't in her level classes, so she'd be strictly using Hermione as a tutor. _Key word is "using," Hermione_, Granger shook her head to herself.

Sometimes, she felt quite alone.

* * *

**We'll have to wait to find out what's in the letter, later. I'm sorry :)**

**POLL: Who do you think that it's from?**

**AND How long do you think Pansy's spell can actually last?**

**REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW PLEASE!**


	5. The Morning After

**HAPPY HALLOWEEN!**

**and I don't own any of this, but i love it, nonetheless!**

**please review!**

* * *

**The Morning After**

"Blaise, you arse. What the bloody hell was that for, last night?" The Slytherin Prince angrily stalked toward his house's table in the dining hall.

Zabini looked up from his breakfast as his friend, Theodore Nox, quickly slid away from him, making room for Draco's rage.

"Oh, err.. so you remember that little thing?" he tried to size up Draco. He definitely looked tired, but did he look like he was still besotted with that Mudblood-filth?

"Merlin's beard! If I didn't remember it, maybe the giant bump on my head happened to give it away, you bastard!"

Professor Flitwick managed to deduct 5 points for Draco's scene from Slytherin, and, with that, Blaise knew his friend was going to hit him. The rage glowed in his eyes and as Draco pulled his arm back, Blaise braced himself. But the haughty Malfoy dropped his arms and sat down quickly. He swore in a hushed tone than dropped his head on the table.

Blaise gaped at how quickly his best friend had been mollified after Professor Flitwick's punishment. Perhaps Pansy's spell hadn't worn off... perhaps that stupid plan about getting in Granger's head only made things worse. He thought of the small metal piece he had left in his trunk after physically pushing Draco out of bed.

Blaise hated being involved in Pansy's ridiculous mistake. She should have been the one fixing things. Looking at the slumped form of his best mate, Zabini thought darkly about the rest of the week. If things didn't change soon...

"Aw, fuck!" Blaise looked up at the Gryffindor robes entering the room. "I hate my life," he thought as he closed his eyes and waited for his scorned lover. Instead, it was Lavender who reached their table.

"You are such a bastard, Blaise, for treating anyone so cheaply! Go rot in the dungeons and don't come out!" The response to her shrieking came in dark laughs from the boys around him. Then, frustrated, Lavender threw the cup of pumpkin juice that she was holding onto his robes. Blaise kept a straight face throughout the whole public display, but he knew this was going to be a long week.

"Twenty points, Gryffindor," Professor Snape announced as he stopped at the head of the Slythering table. When Lavender pranced off, however, she had obviously found the lost points worth it.

"Mr. Zabini, I suggest you proceed toward the nearest bathroom to clean yourself off," Snape bit out coldly before turning away. With that, Blaise left the cafeteria trying to sort himself out.

* * *

"Poor Parvati," Hermione breathed out as she rushed down the stairs with Ron and Ginny.

"No, poor Professor McGonagall," Ron smirked widely. "I bet she wasn't expecting a naked student as she made a final round of the classrooms."

"Half-naked, Ron," Ginny smacked him, trying to defend her friend's honor... at least a little bit.

"No, Gin, that's only the rumor that Lavender must have made up. I heard she was completely, fully naked!"

"Ron, how do you know you were the one hearing a rumor?" Hermione tried to correct his logic.

"Because, come on? What kind of bloke would leave a girl only half-naked in a room?" He smiled as Ginny and Hermione blushed.

"Obviously, it must have been a Slytherin," Ginny added with an obvious disdain to her voice. Hermione just sighed at her friends' prejudices. It was their sixth year in school with the War fast approaching and they still couldn't see people for who they really are.

"It's not right that there's so much... negative stigma on the Slytherin house," she said as they reached the bottom of the stairs. Of course, she was thinking of her own changing feelings toward the "ferret" that they had judged so harshly throughout their years at Hogwarts. Hermione knew if Draco could change, then...

"'Mione, are you mad? They're all a bunch of bloody Deatheaters!" Ron hissed into her ear as they passed through the doors of the Great Hall.

They crossed to the Gryffindor table and sat down quickly. "Where's Harry?" Ginny asked.

Hermione looked to the High Table and notice that a lot of the teachers were missing too. Dumbledore was gone as well as all the Heads of Houses. It was odd. Then, she had the urge to look over her shoulder to see if Draco was at lunch, too.

When she turned slightly in her seat, she felt overwhelmed by a pair of intense silver eyes staring back. Hermione's breath hitched before she turned around in her seat. That certainly wasn't a very "loving stare." She thought then that she may have made more of Malfoy's advances than what had really been going on. Her heart plummeted and she was filled with self-disgust. How could she have been moping after Draco-fucking-Malfoy just because he was throwing himself at her?

"I have to, err... go," she whispered raising herself from the table.

"Bu' yew 'aven't even eaten," Ron talked with a mouth full of food. Ginny laughed as Hermione took the opportunity to stalk off quickly, back to Gryffindor tower.

* * *

Back in her room, feeling completely dejected, Hermione sighed deeply as she fell back on her bed. Her dream had been so much better than reality. Now, she only felt numb.

In a way, her dream had been so much more vivid that she had believed, in waking, that Draco really did love her. That this boy, who had seemingly hated her for the better part of their acquintance, would protect her.

How could her imagination had been so... Last night, her mind must have been playing some trick on her: after nearly being executed by the Death Eaters she had been lost in a bursting passion in the arms of Draco Malfoy. But of course she had made all of that up. One of the brightest witches of her time, Hermione felt foolish.

"So stupid," she said to herself. Maybe she'd just stay in there... A Quidditch match was supposed to be going on later, between Hufflepuff and Slytherin, but she certainly didn't want to see him now, gloating like a little boy over a stupid game. She grunted in exasperation and turned on her side. Her cheek brushed a corner of paper. Startled, she sat up in bed, recognizing the letter that she had left in there.

She opened the large envelope. It was from Dumbledore. It must have been news from The Order- why else would she have been contacted privately so early in the morning?

But it wasn't from him. It was a letter expressed on his behalf, from McGonogall. It was about her duties as a prefect.

"Due to the recent incidents that have been brought to the attention of professors involving co-ed relations..." Hermione blushed reading the letter. Of course, McGonogall had been the one to find Parvati in that... state. "What could have even possessed her?" Hermione thought before reading on.

"... to assure further discrepencies in student behavior... serious concequences... points system of the Houses is in effect and ... staggering loss of points..." Hermione skimmed through trying to make sense of how it applied to her.

It was only after reading that she saw a thick attachment- a schedule of sorts.

"Further, the Headmaster is enforcing upon the prefects of all Houses to complete their rounds in same-sex pairs, effective immediately." Hermione didn't mind. It's not like she couldn't use the time away from Ron... But then she found what prefect pair the Gryffindors were matched with tonight: Slytherin.

"Oh, no!" she moaned at the thought off making rounds with Pansy Parkinson. It was sure to be dreadful! Of course, Hermione didn't even know half of the anger and animosity that Parkinson currently felt for her.

* * *

Blaise left the bathroom, still toweling off his hair. When he heard the sniffling behind a corner, he knew it was his chance to accost Pansy. To his surprise, it was Parvati Patil weeping quietly beyond a corner. Seeing him, her nostrils flared and she advanced toward him with her wand out. Merlin, he thought.

"Protego," Blaise cast the spell before she reached him, but then Parvati only embraced him. Crying into his shoulder, he told her about the second part of her night. As much as he couldn't stand her talking, Blaise felt he deserved this punishment. And then, he started actually listening.

"And everyone was asking me who I was with," Parvati cried. "I just knew I couldn't tell them... you know, about our... tryst." She whispered the word softly making Blaise more nervous.

"Who did you pin it on?" He knew that bloke was bound to be expelled.

"I swore to McGonogall that it was all done willingly, and that I knew what I was doing, and that it didn't involve anything but my... own desires," she looked up at him. "...Because you left in such a hurry, I knew you had only been there to appease me for doing that stupid thing to Granger's pillow. You didn't really want to, did you, Blaise? But did you at least..." she tried questioning him further as she straightened up and waited for Blaise to react.

"Bloody hell, are you waiting for a kiss?" Zabini couldn't believe it. And then he realized how much he had hurt her.

"Screw you, Blaise! I'm glad I took it back now!" She said backing away from her.

"Took what back?" he panicked.

"After Lavender a...attacked you this morning, I told her it wasn't you because I wanted you to know I wasn't mad, that I forgave you!" her voice started rising. Blaise kept thinking someone was going to stumble upon them.

"Parvati.. what did you say?" he barked out when it occured to him how much damage her little lie could do. He could be expelled. Or worse.

"Lavender swore she wouldn't tell," she offered meekly, playing on Blaise's last nerve.

"I told her it was Malfoy. He's better looking then you anyway," she disappeared after that jab at his looks, but Zabini didn't need her anymore.

No. No, this could be good, he thought to himself. How's that Gryffindor hairball going to look at him now, after this gossip lets out.

Blaise felt more secure with their plan as he walked back toward the Great Hall. And if the rumors got out to the teachers, who was going to prove it when they looked at Malfoy's memories of that night?

Then Blaise stopped in his tracks. What were Malfoy's memories of that night? If what Nox had told him was right, his friend had bigger fish to fry than getting that filhty Mudblood bitch, Blaise thought disgustedly. He had heard that the Dark Lord had an assignment for him...

* * *

**sorry for not writing more. i'm just not sure of where to go with it, exactly. but i do know that im going to be semi-sticking to the plot of the half-blood prince. so... spoilers right there if, by some crazy reason, you haven't read that novel yet... though why wouldn't you?**

**and i promise some more of draco in the next upload. i'll upload more tomorrow if you guys keep reviewing for me. thanks for reading!**


	6. Forgotten Orders

**Thank you guys so much for the reviews! Keep them coming! They make my day, honestly.**  
**-and no, I don't own any of Harry Potter and the marvelous characters that come with it-**

**Without further ado, here's another chapter:**

**

* * *

Forgotten Orders**

Taking a quick look in the mirror, Hermione adjusted her robes and went downstairs. Maybe Harry would be back by now. But mostly, she wanted to see if Ron had read about the Prefect assignments as well. She couldn't help but smile as she thought of his face when he'd find out he would be patrolling that night with Draco Malfoy. Draco. The name flashed in Hermione's mind with a growing trepidation. She'd have to confront him, though. Especially after their trip from Hogsmeade.

* * *

"Draco, my sweet, why are you so gloomy?" Pansy persisted at his elbow. The sulking blond boy tried to push her away.

From across the Common Room, Blaise watched the two carefully. It wasn't like Draco had ever been inviting of Pansy's advances... except for those times when she'd caught him drunk on Firewhiskey. But it's not like his friend had ever openly showed any feelings toward her. So, he was acting normally, right?

"Drakey," Pansy obliviously continued to whine, "why don't I help you with your Potions work tonight?"

"Because I've never gotten lower marks than you, that's why," Draco grunted as he got up from the leather couch.

"Where are you going, Dra-"

"I need to be alone," he announced to the whole room as he left the room quickly. He had to think. It was the weirdest thing, but his head didn't hurt at all. That fall he had taken last night didn't leave a bruise but it had done something funny to him. He felt... more aware. Like he had gone on for the past two days in need of spectacles, and now his vision was restored. He wasn't sure what happened, but... it felt like a filter had been removed from his judgement.

But he could remember everything perfectly. Well, mostly everything. He could remember his dream last night. It had been so powerful, so vivid. Blimey, had he been kissing Granger! Draco turned into the nearest bathroom. He turned to the nearest sink and looked up at the mirror above it. Maybe he had been drugged. He had been hallucinating... it might have been a spell. But... hadn't he actually kissed Granger? He stared hard into his own reflection, trying to see if touching a Mudblood had altered him physically.

No, he was the same Draco. Yet, staring harder he thought he remembered: the warmth of the girl in his arms, her full lips and the apprehension that had melted from them with his kiss. A smirk played on his lips as he remembered how easily she'd given into his kiss, how he had deepened it. But there must have been something else beyond that. He couldn't fully remember. WHat would have possessed him to kiss that whiny bookworm? She was almost worse than Pansy? ...Though she certainly tasted better, he recalled. Draco tried to shake the memory from his head and turned around to face his friend, Nott.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here? Touching up your make-up?" The Slytherin teased.

"Not quite," Draco threw out his response quicky.

"Well, word is that you've been keeping busy. I just figured you were fussing over yourself for that Mudblood in Gryffindor..." Theodore Nott remarked snidely.

Shit, Malfoy tried to mask his surprise. How was he supposed to hide what he'd been doing when he was the only one unaware of it? What had happened yesterday? Was his reputation shot?

"Listen, Nott, I'm a little too busy to be dealing with little snots like you," Draco pressed past him.

"Yeah, you know, I've heard that too..." Nott articulated his intentions, making Malfoy spin on his heels.

"What do you know, Nott?" Draco rushed to him with his wand drawn.

"Nothing, Draco," Nott cooly pushed his friend's wand away. "Just that... my Dad has been talking. I've heard how special you are. To the Dark Lord. Heard he's keeping you busy." And with that, Nott spun away and out of the bathroom. Draco was left alone to think of his responsibilities. His hand ran to his left forearm. Of course. There were more pressing puzzles to figure out besides that filthy Mudblood. He hurried out of the bathroom to the seventh floor. He needed the Room of Requirements.

* * *

"Blimey, 'Mione! This must be the first time I'm WILLINGLY working on my homework. Can't you leave me to it?" Ron shushed the expectant Hermione before him.

"But, Ron!" She blurted out. The librarian looked up at the two Gryffindors and after staring daggers at the girl, Hermione sat down and continued her arguement in whispers.

"Ron, I can't believe you! How does it not bother you in the least to be around Draco?"

"Well, you can do it, so why can't I? Don't think you're better than me, Hermione," he spoke angrily as he turned the page in his Potions book. He continued pretending to study, smiling as his best friend blushed across the table. Hermione turned as red as a Weasley would.

That's when she noticed the platinum hair darting among the bookshelves. Her blush deepend further when she saw her opportunity: Draco paused at the table next to them, blocking himself off with a wall of books. Well, Hermione had been using books to block off visitors since her first year at Hogwarts. And she knew that pages and bindings wouldn't really stop anyone from intruding. Whatever Draco was studying so intently wouldn't stop her, either.

Ron noticed the shift in her attention as well. He raised a curious eyebrow before he realized that the table next to him had been occupied. Now, his face was becoming a deepening red- but as ooposed to Hermione, his reaction was out of anger.

"I think I'll go find Harry. Must be with Slughorn, or...something," Ron Weasley mumbled on his way out, not willing to stick around and see Hermione's interaction with the Slytherin he loathed most.

Hermione was filled with Gryffindor courage- oblivious to Ron's departure.

"Hello, Draco," she breathed out as she seated herself across from him.

"I'm busy," came the reply. He infuriated her- to have been so open with her the day before. No- to have 'pretended' to be so open and to just pretend that nothing happened between them... Hermione focused on the silver eyes scanning the text in front of him, thinking of the different non-verbal hexes she could hurl his way.

"Oh, of course," she scoffed, hurt. "How silly of me!" Malfoy raised a platinum eyebrow over his reading, finally looking up at her.

"Granger?"

"Oh, don't worry about me. I'll leave you alone now." Standing up, she rolled her eyes and looked back at his books. Curiously enough, she hadn't even picked those up. They couldn't be for one of their classes, she determined as she thought of her homeworkload.

"Are we done here?" Malfoy rested his ching on his hand expectantly. His arrogant question didn't phase her though. What were those books for?

"What are you doing, Malfoy? Is this what you've been doing to get 'in the zone' for your Quidditch match?" she laughed lightly at her own joke.

Malfoy looked back down to his text and pointed behind him, toward the windows. "Not that you would care, Granger, but the game actually happened to be canceled today," he smirked to himself as he turned another page in the large mysterious tome before him.

Hermione's face fell when she finally took in the storm raging outside. How hadn't she noticed that? The Great Hall had appeared as more than overcast that morning. Outside, the severe weather conditions looked more like a monsoon.

"Oh... right," she frowned to herself. She turned to walk away. This was a first! She had been run out of her own sanctuary. She was a few paces away when Draco spoke again.

"It's books on... restoration," he managed.

"Oh, so you're a handyman, now?" Hermione turned around reluctantly.

"What are you talking about, Granger?" Draco said with a smile playing on his lips.

Encouraged, Hermione walked back to sit across from him at the table.

"So what are you looking to fix?" She asked, throwing him a coy look. Draco wanted to shudder a bit- it reminded him of Pansy. But maybe... girls were all the same. He sighed in annoyance. What had he seen in her? She wasn't that... special. Besides, he could only imagine her reaction if he told her about the real purpose behind his 'research.'

"Forget it," he pushed away from the table, picking two of the large books up with him.

"No, really? What are you doing?" she questioned him again.

"It's not your kind of project, Granger. It's big-boy stuff," he said teasingly.

Hermione's eyes darted to his sleeve. She could feel her gaze trying to sense the Dark mark under his expensive shirt. Nervously, Draco jerked his arm behind him and strode out briskly. He would just have to continue the research in his room.

Of course, after the second turn toward the dungeons, he could hear a set of footsteps following lightly behind him.

"What is it, Granger?" he spun around to have her practically topple into him. Why was she so trusting of him all of a sudden? Maybe it had been more than a kiss that he remembered. Draco tried to compile his own memories as Hermione stammered up at him. Had she been talking this whole time?

"Come again?" he tried to ask politely. He couldn't help his trademark smirk from resurfacing though.

"I said," the Gryffindor huffed, "that you left with two editions of the same book." She pointed at the old tomes in his arms. "You're not going to learn much beside some more current pictures," she said matter-of-factly, pulling out of her robes another book.

"Well, good," Draco laughed. "This one looks smaller anyway. Saved me the time, thanks!" He reached for the small, thin novel. It looked more like a notebook than what he had looked at in the library.

"Shit!" his arm fell with the heavy "paperback" textbook he had taken from Hermione. It weighed a ton, and caught off-guard, he let the rest of the books fall from his arms. "What the hell was that book, Granger?"

Hermione was looking in amusement as he picked up the rest of his books. "Well, I shrunk it. I thought it was obvious that I had condensed it," she smiled. "Why would I be chasing you with a book that size all the way to the dungeons. People might think I was planning to attack you with it, or something."

"Well, you almost did," he smiled and let her wordlessly shrink the rest of the large books in his arms. As Draco leaned against the stone wall of the corridor, Hermione almost forgot the spell she was casting.

Draco looked breathtaking in his black shirt. His silver eyes roamed her face and she thought back to her dream. Then, it was Draco's turn to catch her off-guard. With his quick seeker reflexes, he pushed a strand of hair out of her face and then caressed the line of her jaw gently. Hermione looked at him in surprise but refused to move from the spot.

He drew back his hand, maybe thinking of walking away, but then Hermione reached up on her toes to kiss him briefly. At the small, sweet kiss, Draco took out his wand, startling Hermione. But then, he simply charmed his books to walk off to his room by themselves. As the dusty volumes shuffled in front of her, she was, again, lost in his strong arms. Hermione was drawn closer to him against the cold wall of the corridor. Their lips met in a spark of mad desire and when they broke apart, Draco could feel her loudly breathing against him. No- he had been wrong. She wasn't... like Pansy. Or like any other girl he'd met.

His fingers intertwined in her soft hair as he looked down into her warm, brown eyes. It was so curious- how had he not seen it before? She was beautiful.

Hermione calmed her breathing, as Draco looked deeply into her face. When he remained silent, she thought his serious features made him look like one of those Greek Gods sculpted ever so perfectly. Then, hungrily, Draco bent over her again- causing her to jump slightly in astonishment. Her yelp of surprise was muffled by his own mouth.

Yes, Draco thought. He had been wrong about many things. And then, breaking apart, he straightened up realizing that he wasn't just hearing Hermione's breathing even. There was also the sound of footsteps approaching at an even pace.

* * *

**Well, there you go. I had to pause somewhere!**  
**Hope you guys enjoyed it. Please don't forget to review!**

**Now, I've had a lot of Pansy and Blaise in this story, so I want to know if you guys think I'm focusing too much on those characters... other than that, who should i have walk in on draco and hermione right now?**

**thanks for the input and for taking the time to read don't forget: REVIEW!**


	7. The Hole in the Wall

**sorry, guys. between school and writer's block, i had a hard time updating this. hope you like it. i promise to update more, soon. **

**thanks for all of the reviews! you guys made my day!**

**Oh, and Happy Thanksgiving!~~~**

**And, of course, I don't own any of the characters in this story, etc.**

* * *

Chapter 7

The Hole in the Wall

Draco didn't think. He just hurried.

Hermione had not sensed someone approaching- but she panicked to see Draco frustratedly reach above her. Methodically, the Slytherin tapped with his wand 8 bricks over her head. He was just... tapping bricks like he was entering Diagon Alley from the Leaky Couldron. 'Well, he's obviously mad,' she thought.

And then the wall behind her gave way. Draco flashed a smirk as he carefully pushed Hermione through the wall. She was passing through solid matter!

Aghast, Hermione looked on silently as he winked at her and composed himself on the other side of the bricks.

'It's so surreal,' she thought- reaching out toward the bricks. When she ran through here following him, they looked like solid walls. When she had been pushed against the bricks in their kiss, they felt like solid walls. But were they?

To Hermione, it felt like she was looking out through a thin film onto the corridor where she had been standing with Draco. She was afraid of touching it, or of moving at all. And then she saw him. She couldn't help but gasp as a stranger turned the corner. Hermione tried to see his face through the film of bricks that was blocking her from the corridor where Draco stood waiting.

"Professor," Draco acknowledged the figure.

'So it's a teacher?' Hermione thought. 'Merlin I can't see a thing. If Draco's hair wasn't so very... blond... I wouldn't be able to-'

"Yes, hello to you too, Mr. Malfoy." When the man replied, Hermione recognized his disgusted drawl at once. "I expect you are feeling more... focused than you were this morning."

"Yes," Draco answered quickly. It was too hard to see for sure, but to Hermione, he looked like he was shrinking away from Professor Snape's interrogation.

"Well, I suppose moving at a snail's pace is better than nothing," Snape sighed, beckoning for Malfoy to follow him.

Draco froze at his godfather's request. He looked discretely along the wall that concealed Hermione, but when Snape cleared his throat at him, he turned on his heels to follow the Potions Master.

Their footsteps faded and Hermione allowed herself to breathe. And then, it dawned on her that there wasn't a lot of room to breathe. She tried to look around, but there was a cold wall right behind her. She felt stone on both sides, and upon rising on her toes, she hit her head on a very low ...ceiling, of sorts.

'So it's a very small space. That's alright,' she assured herself. 'Hermione Jean Granger had gotten out of tighter spots before.' She reached out, then, toward the filmy surface before her- toward the "bricks" that shielded her.

But the "bricks" that had concealed her didn't work like Harry's Cloak of Invisibility. She could pull it away. The surface seemed hard, durable- even though she could somewhat see through it.

Still calm, she struggled to get her wand out. In such a tight space, it proved to be quite difficult.

"Alohomora." Nothing. The brick surface wouldn't budge.

"Help! Draco?" Hermione raised her tone in panic. There was no one there.

"Great! This is what I get for kissing a Slytherin..."

* * *

Harry didn't need to look up from his work as his exasperated friend opened the door to their room.

"Not there then, Ron?"

"No!" he said glumly.

"Hey, so I hear that Zabini got much farther than it was let on last night," Harry sat up in his bed, trying to distract Ron. It pretty much worked.

"Blimey. I swear. Parvati belongs to Hufflepuff sometimes. ...How far?"

"As in she was completely bloody naked before him, and he touched her before the bloke got bored and walked away."

"Whoa." Ron thought the development over. "What a giant ass. I guess he didn't think Gryffindor was worth his time."

"Poor Parvati," Harry agreed.

"I wonder if that little weasel's laid a hand on Hermione too?"

"What do you mean 'too,' Ron? Because you know Krum didn't and... you sure haven't," Harry grinned devilishly across the room. Ron soon turned a shade of crimson.

"Shuttup!" he said nervously. Harry raised an eyebrow in challenge, then Ron pulled out his wand. "I mean it, Harry. Stop that."

* * *

Hermione was almost in tears. Who knew how long Draco would take with Professor Snape. 'Oh God! Is it about an assignment that I have forgotten? That must be what all those books were for.' Then Hermione tried remembering harder. 'What were those books about?' Then there were footsteps.

It could be anyone. More Slytherins. But she didn't care. Hermione began to smash her fists into the impervious wall before her. "Help! I'm in here... somehow."

The film of bricks didn't move the slightest. Then two figures turned the corner. It was the Parkinson girl. With someone... a boy. They moved by without the slightest acknowledgement of the racket that Hermione was making. 'Ok. So they don't like me. But can they really not tell I'm in here?' She might as well die here.

"Fuck! I don't believe this," the Gryffindor Prefect screamed in fury. "I'm stuck in some little hole in the wall and I have to report soon to my patrolling duties. And it's all because of Draco Malfoy..." she breathed out a sigh of defeat. All she could do is wait.

Unless... the bricks would let her pass through if she opened them like Draco had. She tried to touch the spots he had before pushing her through.

'How did any of this work? Does everyone know about this? It's certainly not in the History of Hogwarts...'

Then, luckily, Draco turned a corner- his eyes searching for the place in the wall where he had left her.

"Draco!" She tried to get his attention. He ran a hand along the wall until he stopped right in front of her. He tried to look through the bricks. Hermione inched forward and tried to touch his hand through the layer of "bricks" that she could see through. Then, Draco pushed his own hand into the bricks. He reached in, casting one last glance around, before stepping through the layer separating Hermione from the corridor.

"Hello there, Granger," he whispered lowly.

Of course, Hermione was in no mood for his games. "Let me out, Draco! Out! Ow- there is literally no room for both of us in here."

"I beg to differ," he said as he pushed his forehead to hers. "There's just... enough room."

At that, their forced proximity began to seem a lot nicer to Hermione. But she couldn't put out thoughts of all her other responsibilities. She was a Prefect, after all.

"No, Draco," she pleaded. "Let me out. I don't want to be in here any longer. I swear, I could cry- it's just- it was so awful in here, and I need to get out. I need to report to the Great Hall."

He looked down into her panicked face.

"You're not stuck in here. It's really easy. We're not stuck, I swear."

"Then-"

"Well, I mean WE are not stuck. You are though. I mean, it's not like I'm just going to let you out of here," he said in a low voice before dipping his head to kiss her.

Just like that, Hermione's fear was replaced with mad desire. Her arms were folded against his chest and she pulled him in closer by his robes. The small space didn't seem so claustrophobic. Actually, it seemed to slip away. All she could focus on was how his kisses sent a shudder through her body. His touch was electric. She moaned and reached her hands into his hair.

His arms surrounded her and she felt safe again. In the tight space, Hermione was suddenly aware of Draco's errection pressed against her. She blushed, admitting to herself that she also wanted him. Badly.

After a long time, they broke apart- Hermione fighting to catch her breath. Draco held her closely, his hands on her hips. And she, Hermione Jean Granger, wanted him with an intensity that she couldn't explain. But she couldn't.

"Draco," she whispered softly. "I have to get out here. Really. I mean... this is ridiculous. We're inside a wall. I don't care how mindblowing your kisses are," she admitted, biting her lip. "But, honestly, I have to get to the Great Hall. Now."

He silently consented, his hand traveling behind him to touch the false bricks in the same sequence he had opened them. And then, he slid out through the wall, pulling her along.

Hermione was relieved to stretch her arms again- to breathe in the air. It didn't even matter that the dungeons had a slight mildew problem.

She sneaked a glance at him and he began to walk forward with her.

"What are you doing?" she questioned him, a smile forming on her lips.

"What, Granger? I'm a Prefect, too," he smirked back.

"Oh, right. I didn't realize we were patrolling together."

"I didn't realize you thought my kisses were mindblowing."

In a few more turns, they were out of the dungeons. And soon enough, they had reached the Great Hall. And Hermione Granger still couldn't stop blushing.

* * *

**Hope you liked it. I promise to write more. Sorry if this was short. **

**Please REVIEW, though!**

**Also. ron and pansy may play bigger roles in this. but should i keep potter and zabini in the story? i don't know if i should keep mentioning them.**


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